Bubble Wrap
by Piercing Thorn
Summary: 'The many ways stupid people find to entertain themselves never ceases to amaze me.' Naru thought as the first few sounds of popping rang through the office. Mai has a little fun of succumbing to the addicting world of popping bubble wrap: but only at poor Naru's expense. One-shot


Hi everyone I've been having a bit of writer's block with master and maid, that and well this idea came to me when I was getting some things I ordered online. that and I thought that since I won't have anything done for my birthday (which is monday for those of you who read this) I'd give you this as a special treat.

I have no prefrence to when this is set so you guys can pick. I personally think it fits well regardless of whether you guys place it before or after naru goes to england after finding gene. Also this is a one-shot so there will be no sequal unless I get and calls with an idea for one so enjoy it for now.

disclaimer: unless I get the rights for a birthday present, I still don't own ghost hunt

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Bubble Wrap

'_The many ways stupid people find to entertain themselves never ceases to amaze me.'_ Naru thought as the first few sounds of popping rang through the office. His first instinct was to block out the noise, and it worked… for a while at least.

However, when the popping rose in volume along with the voices of the people in the room he started to get annoyed. Whatever it was that his employees were doing had better be pretty damn funny for them to be laughing so hard out there and interrupting his work.

"Is there really the need for me to remind you all _again_ that this is a lace of business and not socializing?" Naru asked coming through his office door. Well at least the visual he was greeted with answered any previous questions he had had before.

There in the main room of the office were all his employees –minus Madoka because she was in England and Lin who was the only worker who _actually worked_- were sitting in the interview portion of the living room playing with… bubble wrap?

Naru blinked. He blinked again. But when blinking for the third time in a somewhat confused nonplus refused to clear the scene of what he considered idiotic tomfoolery, he stopped and returned his features to their usual schooled expression.

"Oh, hey Naru," Mai called joyfully from her spot on the coffee table. "Something wrong?"

If he weren't so adapt at keeping his emotions in check Naru swore he would have slammed his forehead into the doorframe in succession. Mai was _seriously_ asking him that question?

"What are you doing?" he finally asked in response.

"Playing with bubble wrap." Mai answered. Naru took another look around; everyone was paired up in the common area sharing a rather large section of the packing material. Masako and John seated on the two oversized black chairs, Ayako and Monk on the couch, and –Naru noted with a little irritation- Mai and Yasuhara sitting on the coffee table; their hands a few feet apart from each other and their fingers still locked in popping position.

"I saw _what_ you all were doing." Naru replied with a huff of irritation under his breath. "What I'm really concerned with at the moment is why you all are wasting valuable time that could be spent _working_ playing with bubble wrap. Do I dare even ask where you managed to acquire all this?"

"Well it's like this," Mai began before being interrupted by the monk.

"Mai got a package from America today and the box was literally filled with the stuff." He explained while Mai just nodded in agreement.

"It's true. My pen pal in America was kind of paranoid about the things she sent being damaged to she packed in as much bubble wrap as she could to ensure they got here safe."

"Your pen pal?" was all Naru could say in response.

"Yeah, we were all assigned one in school a few weeks back. Didn't I tell you this?" Mai asked him.

"I don't recall." Naru trailed off into thought before it dawned in him that Mai had inadvertently made him digress the subject instead of making them all get back to work. Was he going soft or something? "But never mind that; I pay you all to _work_. Popping little bubbles of plastic can be done on your own time."

"Yes boss." The room chorused back. Naru retreated into his office, satisfied with the response.

It was two hours later when Naru had to come back out for a consultation for a potential client and, surprise surprise, everyone else was _still_ there and _still_ playing with the bubble wrap. Naru cleared his throat.

"Ahem." Everyone looked up at him. "We have a meeting with a potential client in about," he looked down at his wristwatch. "Five minutes. In that span of time I want this _mess_ cleaned up, anyone who doesn't have a reason for being here _out_, and a fresh cup of tea in front of me. Starting now." The end of his order was clipped, formal, and since he was being completely serious; looking at them all expectantly, everyone leapt to action.

Five minutes later; the couch area was perfectly spotless and everyone save for Mai had vacated the building. Speaking of Mai, where was she with Naru's tea?

"Typical." Naru sighed under his breath. That girl wouldn't be able to do anything up to par would she?

"Here Naru." He heard Mai call as she came into the room as fast as she could without spilling a drop of Naru's 'precious' tea. "Sorry it took so long but I had to rinse out the pot to make the new batch."

"It doesn't matter Mai." Naru replied without looking up from the file he'd opened up. "What matters is that I said I wanted tea in _five_ minutes; you took seven."

"But the client isn't even here yet." Mai protested. "Why are you lecturing me for taking the _two extra minutes_ to get the tea _exactly_ the way you like it?"

Naru was thankful he had the cup covering his mouth as he spluttered a little tea back into it. Mai had forgone speed for the quality standards he had? Though, considering the standards he had for quality, it _was_ speedy delivery.

Mai sighed in frustration. "Sometimes I don't know why I even bother." She muttered under her breath, walking back to her desk rather forlornly without even demanding a thank-you par usual. It made Naru want to say thank-you, that is; it did until she pulled some bubble wrap from one of the side drawers and began to pop it to pass the time.

'_Pop... pop… pop, pop, pop.'_ The repetitive sound was really starting to grate on his nerves.

"_Must_ you do that?" Naru asked irritably.

Mai looked up at him and he realized his mistake, he had let his emotions show in his voice.

"Huh?" Mai finally asked, still in shock from hearing emotion in her stoic boss' voice.

"I _said_ 'must you do that?'." Naru reiterated.

"Do what?" Mai asked, still clueless.

"Continue popping that bubble wrap." Naru clarified.

"No." Mai shook her head, before looking at him as an evil little smirk made its appearance on her face. "Why?" she put the side of her face in her hand. "Does it," pause for dramatic effect. "_Bother_ you?" she asked in a convincingly innocent voice.

"Not in the slightest." Naru immediately denied.

"Oh." Mai smirked, she had him cornered now. "Then you won't mind if I continue then." She concluded; popping yet another for emphasis.

And so it was on; Naru was determined not to let it bother him, and Mai was determined to make him crack. After five minutes of continuous popping however, Naru's patience was starting to wear thin.

Putting the file down on the coffee table, Naru stood up and strode over to his secretary's desk. She paused in her popping only to glance up at him momentarily.

"Can I help you with something?" Mai asked keeping her face blank and her eyes intent on the task at hand; irritating Naru.

"Stop playing with that plastic and put it away right now." Naru had to brace his weight on the other side of Mai's desk to keep himself from seething.

Mai considered his demand for a moment, before slowly nodding her head. "I _might_," she said looking him dead in the eye. "If…" she trailed off.

"If what?" by this point Naru was not above giving in to Mai's stipulations. Anything to get some relief from that incessant popping.

"If you say; 'can you please stop playing with bubble wrap.'" Was Mai's response. "_And_, if I could get a please and thank-you every now and again."

"Only every now and again?" Naru found himself saying.

Mai giggled, and Naru found the sound akin to classical music; his favorite genre. "Course, wouldn't want to ruin your entire image now would we?" she asked wryly. "Besides, I doubt your _enormous_ ego could handle saying 'please' and 'thank-you' all the time."

"Very well." Naru conceded. "Will you _please_ stop playing with the bubble wrap?"

"Sure thing Naru!" Mai replied happily, sweeping the seemingly endless amount of plastic back into the drawer before taking out some unfinished file from a previous case and setting herself to working on them.

Satisfied the deed was done and over with Naru went to turn away when something hit him. The little minx had played him like a professional musician and gotten him to submit to _her will_. Something that did not sit well with him or that afore mentioned ego of his.

Oh, he was definitely going to get revenge for this. Turning back around Naru once again braced his weight on Mai's desk once more. Mai looked up; all earlier glee and victory completely gone as she looked unsure of what he was still doing there.

"Yes Naru?" she asked sweetly, hesitantly. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Ideas on how to get Mai back came numerous and plentiful but finally the thoughts in Naru's mind settled on a plan, one completely brilliant if he did say so himself.

"Actually there is." Naru said bowing a little further so as to be eye level with her. His ego was fed as he saw a flush make its way across Mai's face and he had to remind himself that this was no time to let emotions out now. "You've studied world history before right?"

"Of course." Mai defended. "I know you like think I'm stupid but I'm actually much smarter than you think I am."

Obviously not, since she was playing right into Naru's hands. "I didn't doubt that you had." He murmured lowly. "But since we're on the subject, did you ever hear of a ruler named Hammurabi?"

"Yeah. Didn't he make that big stone pillar with all his laws written on it?" Mai asked for confirmation.

"Correct." Naru moved even closer and to his amusement Mai's blush reddened further. "And do you remember one of the most influential laws he devised?"

"Um…" Mai couldn't respond, Naru's proximity was really starting to affect her.

"Well Mai, you know what they say…" Naru's hands grasped her wrists loosely. "An eye for an eye, an ear for an ear, and submission for submission." The last part of his explanation was whispered as he pressed his lips to hers.

Mai melted, completely surrendering control to him as she mover her hands to thread through the inky black strands of her boss' hair Naru tugged her body upwards; she was now standing just like him; the minutes ticking away as their kiss continued.

When they finally broke for breath, Naru was pleased to see Mai panting and could finally admit to himself that this was something he'd wanted to do since he first met the girl; make her his and no one else's.

"Naru…" Mai was still struggling for air. Well it _had_ been a mind blowing kiss, and her first, coincidently. "What about the client that's coming in?"

"Oh that." Naru pulled away from the desk and started walking towards his office. "There was none. I just wanted some peace and quiet… and a fresh cup of tea."

"Wait!" Mai called as he made to enter through the door, he turned once more. "Does… does this mean we're dating now?" Mai asked, unsure of whether or not what just happened had meant something to him as well or if he was just teasing her like he always did.

"Mai, you told me not too long ago that you were smarter than I thought you were. You're really going to contradict yourself now?"

And with that, Naru retreated into his office for the time being. Meanwhile Mai pulled a fresh sheet of not book paper from her back and began to write.

'_Dear Kayla,_

_I wanna say thank-you for the gift you sent me. As well as agree that you were right. There really is nothing more entertaining than three pounds worth of bubble wrap…'_

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kinda corny ending if you ask me but I wanted to clear up the fact that Mai got the bubble wrap as the present from her pen pal. and if Mai seems kinda ooc I apologize, but I like to think there's a devilish streak in her that just _lives_ to torment Naru and I just thought it should get its chance to shine.

alright, now for my birthday presents from you guys; REVIEW!


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